New Vegas Private Eye
by Boxhead333
Summary: A burnt out private detective travels to New Vegas in pursuite of a vicious arms dealer. Why is he so obsessed with taking this man down? And will this finally be the case that breaks him?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi guys this is my first story. I thought of this a couple of weeks ago so hopefully i've been able to remember it correctly. Please read and leave a comment if you wish. I welcome constructive criticism or any thoughts or tips you may have, and i hope you enjoy the story.**_

Chapter 1

The tower of the lucky 38 casino shone in the distance. A glowing beacon of hope in the chaotic danger of the Mojave wasteland. Cole smiled as the familiar site grew closer and closer. He had not been to New Vegas in over a year. He had spent a lot of his time there during his regular trips from DC, enjoying the casinos and bars. He had met some good people in this seedy town, some bad ones too. The cool night air sent a chill down Coles neck and he pulled his jacket tighter around him. It was a beat up brown leather jacket he'd bought from Crazy Wolfgang a couple of years ago in Megaton. It had served him well during his many wasteland expeditions. The large metal gate to Freeside scraped against the concrete as it slid open. He stepped forward into freeside, waving off the gang of "Body guards" offering him their services. Cole had been around, the only protection he needed was Lucky. Coles trusty 357 magnum revolver hung comfortably on his belt. Lucky was a beautiful gun, jet black barrel with ornate gold etchings, as well as a polished ivory handle imprinted with a black playing card club. The word "LUCKY" was imprinted on the silver plate on the ejector tube. Lucky had gotten Cole out of more difficult situations than he could remember. The revolver had put an end to numerous raider scumbags and mutant abominations. Cole stroked the gun, out of habit, before pulling his jacket tighter and setting off towards his goal. The Kings school of impersonation.

Cole nodded to the Kings gang members leaning against the building. It had been a while, but the older members still recognised him. He had done a lot of work for the King back in the day and he had gained him a lot of respect in the gang. After all, respect is what the Kings are all about.

Pacer lounged languidly behind the desk in the school of impersonations reception area. As he saw Cole enter a smile spread across his face. "Hey look who it is! Long time no see my man." Cole smiled at pacer "Pace man its good to see you" Pacer stood from his seat and gave Cole a traditionally manly bear hug. Cole patted his back, trying to stop his ribs from being crushed. "So what brings you back to New Vegas man? Business or pleasure?" Pace asked, finally letting Cole go from his bear hug. "Erm both" Cole replied, "Is he in?" Pacer winked at Cole "Sure man he's in, go right on through, ill get your stuff ready"

Cole nodded and carried on through the reception doors into the main hall. The king sat in his usual place in the middle of the room, with a perfect view of the stage. Some ghoul comedian was performing and seemed to be going down well. "Hey King " Cole said, announcing himself to the seated man. The king turned his gel slicked head towards Cole before breaking into a grin just as Pacer had. "Cole baby good to see ya" The king exclaimed, standing to give Cole a less oppressive hug then Pace had. " Take a seat man enjoy the show"

Cole sat with the King, reaching out to stroke Rex, the Kings trusty Robot Dog. The dog licked Coles hand affectionately, the static causing his hair to stand on end. " So baby what brings you back to freeside?" The King asked, turning back towards Cole. "Unfortunately im not here on a social call King" Cole replied, still stroking Rex. "Im working a case, im here for information"

"Well spit it out baby, I know everyone around freeside" Cole exhaled slowly before explaining. " A guy back in DC upset some powerful people, im here to take him down and I know he passed through freeside a couple of days ago.

"Who's the guy and what did he do?" The King asked, intrigued at his friends predicament." His names Freddy the Bat, he murdered the wife of Frank Delaney" The King sighed and leaned back in his chair. Frank Delaney was a big time crime boss back in DC. He'd organised several protection rackets and drug operations, from Megaton all the way to Rivet City. Anyone on the wrong side of him was in some serious trouble. Freddy the bat was a small time weapons dealer with aspirations above his station. He was notorious for his short temper, and his tendency to beat people with a baseball bat, hence the name.

"Yeah I know Freddy, bought some guns from him in the past" The King replied, a solemn look on his face. "But I cant help ya Cole, im sorry. Freddie's moved up in the world, he's a powerful guy now and I cant afford to help take him down. It'd ruffle a lot of feathers around the Strip, and what with the second battle of Hoover Dam just finishing and stuff. Freeside needs to focus its energies on keeping the NCR happy. Im sorry man" Cole looked at the King, surprised at his friends lack of help. He knew freeside was unstable after the NCR kicked the Legions ass at the Dam, but this was important. "King man, you gotta help, this shits important" The king stood up, Rex standing obediently at his side "Im Sorry Cole, I cant help ya. Listen, drinks are on the house and there's always a bed here your welcome to, but apart from that your on your own buddy." The king turned to walk away up to his room before Cole blurted out behind him. "She was pregnant you know. Delaney's wife. She was pregnant and Freddy caved her skull in with a bat. Now if that aint worth ruffling a few feathers for then…then maybe your not the guy I knew all those years ago." At that the Kings head sank, he was an honourable man and he felt guilty for being so callous with his friend. "Rad Roach Mickey" He called over his shoulder. "He plays cards over at the wrangler, he'll know where Mickey is" "Thanks King" Cole called after him as he walked away, the King stopped for a second, before walking out of the door.

Cole sat in silence for a second before making his way out of the school of impersonation. Pacer stopped him before he got to the exit. " Hey Cole, I got your stuff" Pace handed Cole a vault boy lunchbox, Cole passed Pace a small bag of caps. "Thanks pace" He said, before leaving. "No problem" Pace said, as he watched his friend leave with a sad look on his face


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cole hurried out of the building and across the street towards the Atomic Wrangler. He rushed past the wrangler advertisement girl before bursting through the doors into the seedy casino. He strode across the room past the bar into the mens bathroom. He entered a cubicle, shutting the door behind him with shaking hands. The conversation with the King has shaken him. He didn't like thinking about the killing of Delaney's wife, the brutality of it sickened him. He needed to take the edge off. He opened the lunchbox Pacer had given to him. Insider were 3 Jet inhalers. Cole sighed to himself, he hated how dependant on the drug he had become. But coping with the stress of private investigation had driven him to it. It helped him to concentrate, to focus and get the job done. The cubicle was disgusting, graffiti lined the walls. "Fuck NCR" "Francine Garret is a whore" All kinds of profanity laden writing. Cole ignored his surroundings and took a deep drag of the Jet inhaler. He was immediately overcome with the euphoria and sense of calm he had come to expect. He slouched back onto the cubicle wall, smiling to himself. He had needed that. Now he could focus on the job at hand. Shit, who was his contact? Radscorpion? Radroach? Radroach Mickey! Cole stumbled to his feet, the Jet making him clumsy and unresponsive. Shit why did he do this? He tried to focus and quickly stuffed the remaining two jet inhalers into his pockets. He stumbled out of the cubicle and rinsed his hands in the filthy radiation laden water of the tap. He splashed it in his face and leaned on the sink, trying to get his bearings. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was mid thirties, short black hair and a stubble. He was considered a handsome man. At least, hed never had any problem with the ladies. Although he could see that the Jet addiction was beginning to take its toll. His cheeks were beginning to sink in, his pupils dilated. He was beginning to feel his age and it scared him. Cole brushed aside the thoughts of his own mortality. He'd rather get something done. He splashed some more water in his face before leaving the bathroom and stepping back into the wranglers main room.

The lonesome drifter played his guitar on the stage to the entertainment of the crowd. The wrangler was fairly busy tonight, the drifter often drew a good audience. Cole walked over and leaned against the bar. The bar girl was cleaning a glass with her back to him. Cole cleared his throat to announce himself and she turned around with a sheepish grin, unaware hed been waiting. As soon as she turned Cole was struck by her beauty. She was young, mid twenties. She had short blonde hair and face like the women on the billboards from pre-war films. Cole was take aback by her beauty so much that he didn't hear her ask "What'll it be mister?" Cole continued staring, mouth open, mind blank. She smiled and laughed before snapping her fingers in front of him, snapping him out of his stupor. "What can I get ya?" She asked again. "Erm just a Nuka Cola" Cole replied. "I aint seen you around here" The girl said as she opened the cap of Coles Nuka Cola " You a traveller, you got the look of a merc to ya"

Cole took a deep swig of the Nuka Cola, feeling the slightly irradiated drink energise him. "I aint no merc" He replied with a smile. "Im a private investigator, and no im not from here im from back East." With that the girl perked up a bit. "Ooh a private eye eh? How cool. So you here workin a case then?" She asked, with a genuine spark of interest in her emerald eyes. "Yeah I am actually" Cole said, trying not to sound like a dick. "Well what's the case?" The girl asked, leaning over the counter slightly. Cole smiled, he liked this girl." Fraid I cant say, it is private after all. But you can help me. Im looking for Radroach Mickey, I heard he might be here" The girl frowned slightly at Coles rebuff. "Yeah he's here, practically lives at the card tables, you'll find him out back" She pointed towards the back room, full off card tables and drunken gamblers. Cole smiled at the girl appreciatively and took another swig of his Nuka Cola before walking into the gambling room.

He took a second to take in the room, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. Coles private eye instincts began to kick in and he became completely business minded. He noticed a fat, unpleasant looking man in a grimy business suit seated at the card table furthest from the door. He was flanked by two burly body guards in merc cruiser outfits. Cole guessed that this guy was Radroach Mickey. And from the look of the guy, he understood the nickname fully.

Cole strode confidently over to the table, knowing full well that dealing with these kind of people meant he had to play the tough guy, which suited him just fine. "Radroach Mickey, I presume" Cole said, staring the short fat man in the eye. "Who wants to know?" The man replied, arrogance oozing from his chubby features. "Im a private investigator, im here on behalf of Frank Delaney, im looking for a man named Freddy the bat and I've been told that you know where he is" Radroach Mickey smirked "Sorry I cant help ya buddy, I don't know what your talking about. Now beat it, im busy" Mickey and his goons chuckled to themselves and carried on with the card game. Cole smirked to himself, he was playin hard ball. "I don't think you understand me Mickey" Cole said, an air of menace in his voice. "I know you know where Freddy is, and your gonna tell me. You wouldn't wanna piss off Mr. Delaney" Mickey laughed again. "Delaney? Delaney's a fuckin has been. He's an old man who's name used to mean somthin, but not anymore. He's got no power out here." Mickey turned back to his card game, staring at the three cards he had clutched in his sweaty hands. Cole gritted his teeth, already beginning to lose his patience. He snatched the cards from Mickey's hands and flung them across the room, leaning on the table, his face close the Mickey's. Mickey's goon immediately move towards Cole but Mickey waves them off, staring at Cole with amazement. "Do you know who I fuckin am pretty boy? Do you know what I can do to you?" Coles eyes never waver, he was in the zone. "Listen Mickey, you can tell me right now where Freddy is or we can make this ugly. Ruin your little card game here." Mickey looked down at the table for a seconds, shuffling in his seat uncomfortably. Clearly Cole had gotten to him. "I don't know where he is but I do know where he was. He went over to the Strip, had business with Swank." Cole smiled and stood back up straight. "Thanks Mickey, that wasn't so hard was it?" With that Cole turned and walked back out of the room towards the bard. Mickey shouted something but he didn't hear it.

Cole walked back up to the bar and took another swig of his Nuka Cola the girl had left out. Upon seeing him return the girl beamed a smile at him. "ahh if it isn't Mr. Private Eye. You find out what you wanted to know?" Cole laughed at the girls perky attitude. "Yes thank you, I did. I was just tryi-" "HEY!" Cole turned back to the girl "You might wanna go out back sweetheart, things are about to get ugly. The girls eyes wondered with a mix of fear and confusion as Cole turned to see Mickey walking towards him, his plump features red with anger. "You think you can talk to me like that and just walk away you fukin rat?" Mickey asked indignantly. "Boys break this guys fuckin legs!" With that, one of Mickey's lumbering goons sent a meaty fist straight into Coles face. His head hit the counter with a thud, spilling his Nuka Cola across the bar. The thug grabbed Cole and slammed his head against the counter a second time, sending him spring boarding onto his back. Coles head swam and his vision blurred as he saw a size 13 boot come towards his head. He rolled out of the way quickly as the boot stomped the ground where his head had just been. Acting on instinct, Cole grabbed the goons leg and pulled, sending him crashing to the ground. Cole stumbled to his feet just in time to see the fist of the second thug come swinging towards him. With better footing, Cole managed to avoid the punch and sent one of his own, connecting with the goons chin and sending him sprawling onto the floor. The first thug regained his footing and sent another punch towards Cole. It connected with Coles face, sending him reeling. Cole used that momentum to spin around and send a punch of his own into the goons nose, sending blood flying from his face. He followed up with a second punch to the gut and then slammed the thugs bald head into the counter, his forehead breaking Coles now empty Nuka Cola bottle, smashing it and sending shards of glass into the thugs flesh. The man screamed in agony and collapsed on the floor, clutching his shredded face. Cole felt a sharp pain in his side as the second thug sent his boot into Coles ribs, Cole stumbled to the side in time to see the thug send a second kick towards his face. Dodging this, Cole sent a fist towards the thug, who narrowly avoided this, allowing the momentum of the punch to send Cole crashing into the thug. Cole took his opportunity and smashed his forehead into the bridge of the goons nose as hard as he could. Crimson sprayed from the mans face as Cole followed up with a flurry of punches to the mans ribs. He finished by throwing the man into a nearby table, smashing through the weak wood and sending drinks flying and causing startled customers to jump out of their seats.

Just as Cole thought the fight was over he saw Mickey reach for the 9mm pistol at his side. With a speed and accuracy he had developed over his many gunfights, Cole drew Lucky from the holster at his belt and sent a single bullet into Mickey's shoulder. Mickey screamed in agony and dropped his gun. "AAAAAHHHHHHH you fukin psycho! You shot me in the fukin arm!"

Cole placed lucky back into his holster and heard the familiar click of a loaded gun behind him. He turned to stare down the barrel of an assault rifle. The leather armour clad wrangler security guard behind the gun gritted his teeth as he and Cole exchanged glances. "Wait Jim its ok. It was self defence" The girl behind the counter said. Cole smiled thankfully at her and the guard reluctantly lowered his rifle. "well either way he's gotta go" The guard said begrudgingly. Cole nodded to the guard as he gave one last glance at the bar girl. "Hey thanks for that, I appreciate it" The girl grinned at him. "No problem detective" Cole smiled and made his way back out into the streets of Freeside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cole steadied himself against the burnt out husk of a pre war car. The fight with Mickey's goons had taken it out of him. He felt a bruise coming along on his cheek from where the big ape had slugged him. He also thought he might have a cracked rib from the kick to his side. He winced as his grimy fingers probed the contours of his ribcage, yep it was definitely cracked. He sucked in fetid air between clenched teeth, careful not to fill his lungs too much lest he damage his ribs even more. He'd need a stimpak, or better yet some med-X. Luckily for him freeside was rife with chem dealers and junkies. He used the car to push himself up straight and began his walk towards the strip, keeping an eye out for a dealer. Fortune smiled on him as he saw a gangly, grime covered man in a pre-war baseball cap hanging around the corner leading down to the wrangler. Cole approached him, careful not to show how much pain he was in. You could never be too careful with scum like this. The dealer nodded to Cole nonchalantly, his hands pushed deep into his thick coat pockets.

"Hey man, you lookin to score?" He asked, with the thick accent Cole had come to expect from the people of freeside. Cole nodded, his head still swimming from his injuries. "Med-X and stimpaks" He drawled, his jaw feeling loose. The dealer looked quizzically at Cole, eyeing him up, trying to determine if he was an easy target or not. "Hey you all right man?" He asked, a villainous grin creeping across his misshapen features. "You don't look so good" Cole straightened up at that, he wasn't gonna let some street punk intimidate him. "What are you , a dealer or a fuckin doctor? You got the stuff or not? If you don't then quit wastin my fuckin time" Cole practically spat the words.

"hey relax man…" The dealer replied, raising his hands to show his co-operation "…I got the stuff, that'll be 20 caps" Cole glared at the dealer, he hated himself for it but he couldn't help but ask. "And Jet, what about Jet?". With that the dealer smiled again, showing his crooked yellow teeth. "Yeah man I got Jet, how much you want two, three?" Cole nodded. "two". The dealer produced a stimpak, a dose of Med-X and two Jet inhalers. "Ok that's 30 caps" Cole produced a bag of 20 caps and pulled 10 more from his pocket, practically slamming them into the dealers hand as he grabbed the meds and stuffed them into his pockets. The dealer continued to stare at Cole, who began to sway in the wind, on the verge of collapsing. The shark like grin appeared again. Cole didn't wait for the dealer to make a move, he moved his jacket away from his waist, revealing Lucky in all its dangerous glory. Upon seeing the big iron on his hip, the dealer balked and backed away from Cole, smiling politely. Before he knew it the dealer had turned heel and began sprinting away into the night air. Cole smiled to himself. Fucking punk.

Cole sat down on a bench just to the right of the gate to the Strip. 's army of securitrons stood a silent vigil at the gate. Their pristine armoured forms a stark reminder to all freeside citizens. Your are not welcome. Cole sighed to himself, even after the bombs dropped and the world burned. There was still a divide between the rich and poor. The class system hadn't died, it hadn't changed. Turning his thought away from such depressing matter, Cole instead focused at the task at hand. He gently lifted his white shirt to reveal the purple, swollen skin of his ribcage. He took a deep breath as he plunged the needle of the stimpak deep into his abdomen. The soothing chemicals began to wash through his blood system and Cole immediately felt better. Although Coles ribs were healing nicely, he still felt woozy from the repeated blows to the head sustained at the hand of Mickey's goons. That was what the Med-X was for. Taking the syringe of purple liquid in his hand, Cole gently pushed the needle into his arm, pushing down on the syringe and letting the chemicals spread across his body. He felt an immediate sense of euphoria from the large dose. His body felt numb and unresponsive, he could no longer feel the ach of his bruised skin and tired bones. Cole rested for a while, noticing a small group of freesiders gathered round a flaming barrel to his right. They chatted and swapped stories, sharing cans of cram and boxes of fancy lads snack cakes. It warmed Coles heart to see that sense of community. It amazed him how people could band together and survive in such a horrible place. But then again, humanity always did find a way to survive. Its what we do. Cole desperately wanted another shot of Jet, but knew full well hed had enough chems pumped into his system today already.

Cole knew he would have to rest before going to see swank, it was getting late and he considered making his way back to the Kings school of impersonation and taking them up on their offer of a bed for the night. But his body was unresponsive and tired. His muscles ached and he decided to sleep right there on the bench. As he closed his eyes and drifted off into slumber, images flashed in his mind. Like lightning they struck his consciousness, flashing images like a holotape. Her beautiful face, smiling at him in the moonlight. Her voice whispering in his ear as they lay in bed. The banging on the door. Her husbands angry cries. Her tiny white hand lying in a pool of blood. And with that he faded off into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cole awoke with a start. He swatted away the pestilence ridden dog sniffing at his face. The patchy furred canine snorted and trotted off down the street. Cole shielded his eyes from the sun beaming down on him. One thing he missed about DC was that the sun didn't burn you to a crisp. His head pounded from the Med-X. After regaining his bearing and sitting up straight on the bench, the memories of the previous day came flooding into his mind. He remembered his meeting with the King, his fight with Mickey's goons, the pretty bargirl he met. He remembered he needed to go and see Swank at the Tops casino. He realised he hadn't eaten in two days, his stomach grumbled and he knew he wasn't going to be any use with an empty stomach. As if sensing his hunger a raspy voice called out to him. "You hungry friend?" Cole turned to see the voices origin, a ghoul sat cross-legged by the flaming barrel. He and two others were sharing out a pack of instamash. The ghoul turned back to Cole. "The names Rotface, smooth skin take a seat, have some food. Cole smiled at the friendly ghoul and took a seat next to him, hungrily wolfing down some instamash. It was raw and dry but Cole was too hungry to care. The filthy dog returned and continued to harass Cole, he shooed it away with his hand. "ah don't mind patches, he's just getting to know ya" The ghoul said, with a chuckle. "Is that so…" Cole replied, with a mouthful of instamash "…well you know me now, so scram" The dogs ears flattened to his head and Cole guiltily gave it a pat on the back. It perked up and lolled its tongue out of its mouth, sending rancid breath in Coles face. Cole turned away with distaste and stood up. "Well suddenly I've lost my appetite. Thank you for your hospitality Rotface, hopefully I can repay the favour someday." "Don't worry bout it smooth skin…" Rotface replied, still dining on the crusty white food "…you take care". Cole gave the group a smile and a nod before walking away towards the gate to the strip. A securitron with an angry soldiers face on its screen stopped him. "HALT CITIZEN. IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED" Cole sighed and produced a tattered Strip pass card he'd received from the King during his last visit to New Vegas. The securitrons screen flickered for a second as it registered the pass card. "IDENTIFICATION ACCEPTED. HAVE A NICE DAY CITIZEN"

Cole rolled his eyes and carried on through the opening metal gate to the strip. He looked up at the looming tower of the lucky 38 as he walked by. Semi-naked Gomorrah dancers waved at Cole as he walked by. He gave them an embarrassed smile before hurrying on through the second gate into the strip. Even in the day the bright neon lights of the strip illuminated the drunken NCR soldiers puking in the gutter and stumbling around. They really enjoy their leave, Cole thought to himself.

The reception area of the Tops casino was pure old world nostalgia, not that Cole knew what that was like. But a pre-war ghoul Cole had met a couple of years ago had told once him that the Tops was the closest you'd get to old Vegas. Las Vegas, Cole corrected himself. The walls were whitewashed, intricate gold trimmings lined every corner. Antique chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The staff wore clean suits. Cleaner then anyone in the Mojave. Gamblers flocked to the row upon rows of craps, blackjack, and poker tables. It was a little slice of the old world. Cole snapped himself out of his thoughts and again turned on his private eye mode. He was all business once again. A slick looking man in a pre-war business suit stood behind the counter in the reception area. " Hey baby, welcome to the tops, I'm Swank" Cole recognised his voice from a Radio New Vegas broadcast a few months ago. The casinos owner, Benny, had disappeared . Cole leaned on the desk and looked at Swank, his eyes burning into the other mans skull. Swank took a step back, clearly a lover not a fighter, this one. "We err… we gotta take your weapons if your goin into the casino. You know how it is man."

"Im not going in…" Cole replied "Im actually here to see you".

"Lotta cats come lookin for Swank baby, what can I do for ya?" Cole got straight to the point, finding the mans sleazy attitude annoying. "Im looking for Freddy the Bat, Mickey told me he had business with you a couple of days ago. I wanna know where he's headed." Swank smiled slyly. "Im sorry baby, id love to help ya but…my memories a little foggy. Hard to keep up with all the people I got business with" Cole could see where this was going. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of caps, he dropped them on the counter. Nuka Cola, Sunset Sarsaparilla, caps Cole had earned from his many cases. "I don't have time to screw around baby…" Cole said sarcastically " Im already two days behind the guy. Now tell me what I wanna know before I start to get pissed off." Swank greedily swept up the pile of caps and shoved them into a box under the counter. "Relax baby I get ya. Freddy was in here the other day, sold us some weapons for the casino guards. Said he was headed off to Redrock to do some business with the Khans. That's all I know". Cole immediately turned and walked out the building. Leaving swank shaking his head and smiling to himself as he counted the pile of caps.

Redrock Canyon. Shit. Cole knew the place well. Redrock was the base of the Great Khans, the toughest raider gang in the Mojave. Redrock was a few days trek away. Cole decided to go and get supplies from Mick and Ralph's. He strode out of the Tops at a comfortable speed. Now that he finally knew where Freddy was headed, he felt more confidant in his case. Hed finally take that son of a bitch down.

He hurried back through the two gates into freeside, again smiling at the Gomorrah dancers. As he made his way down the dilapidated streets of Freeside, he considered stopping by to see the King again. He quickly dismissed the idea, his first meeting with the King had been awkward at best. Whilst he didn't stop at the Kings, he did stop at a nearby squatters den for a quick dose of Jet. He left the filthy ruined building feeling free and clear. Cole knew his Jet addiction was getting worse. He used to take it occasionally, only after a long case. But now, he was taking it twice a day, and if he didn't stop soon, it would kill him. He remembered when hed first started taking Jet. It was shortly after hed met _her. _Cole quickly cleared his mind of her. She would just cloud his mind with pain. He needed to stay in business mode. But he couldn't help but think back to his time in DC. About when he first met Frank Delaney and his life had been turned upside down.

_Cole sat outside the hotel room. The delicate wooden chair sagged under his weight, and he feared it may collapse. He twiddled his thumbs idly. He was sat on the 15th__ floor of Tenpenny tower outside of Frank Delaney's room. Cole had never felt more out of place in his life. The halls of Tenpenny Tower were furnished and clean. Cole had never felt more dirty and unkempt then he did right then. He had received a message via courier to come see Mr. Delaney to talk business. Anyone who knew the capital wasteland knew that it wasn't a smart move to ignore an invitation from Frank Delaney. Coles brain feverishly searched for a reason as to why he'd been summoned. Maybe he'd killed one of Delaney's "associates". Maybe he'd taken a case that interfered with Delaney's business. He didn't know, he couldn't think. _

_Before he could contemplate the issue further, the door to Delaney's room opened. A pale, gaunt man in a grimy pre-war business suit ushered Cole into the room. "Mr. Delaney will see you now" He said, in a thin raspy voice. _

_Cole looked around Delaney's quarters. They were as luxurious as he would have expected from Tenpenny towers. Seeing this room one would almost think that the apocalypse had never happened. The room was large, Cole could see a door leading to the master bedroom and several other closed doors. The most prominent of them being a large set of double doors with brass knobs and pristine wood. Cole was not used to seeing a door not chipped and scratched, with the paint stripping off. The thick double doors unsettled him for some reason, he assumed they lead to Delaney's office. Row upon row of pre-war books lined the shelves. Pre-war artworks were located in certain areas. Before he could admire the room further, the gaunt gentleman ushered him through the thick double doors into Delaney's office. _

_As Cole entered the office, the gaunt man withdrew sharply, a cowed look on his face, careful not to look directly forward. Cole turned to stare into the eyes of Frank Delaney, the "Godfather" of the capital wasteland. Delaney sat behind a large oak desk. It, like the rest of the room, was clean and In excellent condition. The man was even wealthier then Cole had imagined. Delaney was a thin man, Cole would guess he was around sixty years old, but he took care of himself. His grey hair was slicked back and his slightly wrinkled face was clean shaven. He wore a jet black business suit and tie, a blood red handkerchief poked out of his blazer pocket, folded to a perfect angle. The most distinctive feature of Delaney was his eyes. He had piercing grey eyes. The kind of eyes that said "I have seen and done things that you couldn't imagine"._

_The two men sized each other up for an uncomfortable minute or so. Cole felt himself withdraw slightly from the older mans steely gaze. He now realised why the gaunt gentleman had withdrawn so sharply. Finally Delaney spoke, his baritone Italian accented voice carrying throughout the small room._

"_Do you know who I am?" He asked with his gaze still fixed solely on Cole. Cole managed to nod curtly. _

"_If you know who I am then, you know that I am a man of considerable wealth and power. Am I correct?" Again Cole nodded, feeling like a child in this mans presence._

"_You know who I am. And I also know who you are Cole…" Coles eyes flickered for a second. "…I know that you are a private investigator operating out of Megaton. And I know that your pretty damn good at your job. I'm sure you're a busy man like myself, so I'll cut to the chase. I have a problem that needs solving and I have been told that you are good at solving problems. Stop me if I am incorrect. _

_Cole began to feel more comfortable, and finally managed to speak. "You are correct Mr. Delaney…sir" _

_Delaney smiled and offered Cole a seat. Cole sat, still nervously keeping his eyes fixed on Delaney. Delaney continued. "I've been having trouble with a group of raiders attacking one of my chem labs out in the wasteland. I want you to find out where they're coming from, so that my boys can go and clean them out. Caps are of no concern, I have caps. What I do not have, is competent employees. Are you competent Cole?" Again Cole nodded, reverting to his earlier unease. "Good.." Delaney continued " If this goes well then I think you and I can have a good partnership going here Cole. With my support you can change your entire life"_

And change his life it did. Cole had tracked down the raider group as asked. Mr. Delaney had been so pleased with his work that he had hired Cole again. And again. And again, until they had been working together for nearly a year. Things had begun to look up for Cole. He made more caps and business. He had become a respected figure in the capital wasteland. Things changed when he met her though. When he met her, his world began to fall apart, piece by piece.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Cole opened his eyes and felt the fresh morning air wash over him. He was sitting on the curb outside the squatters den. He had nodded off for a moment he realised. He feverishly rooted through his pockets, checking he hadn't been robbed. You could never be too careful in Freeside, you let your guard down for one second and you could loose everything. Cole let out a small sigh of relief as he realised he wasn't missing anything. He would never forgive himself if Lucky had been stolen. The gun had never left his side since the day he got it. Cole remembered his father handing him the gun one day for his birthday. Before Lucky had served as Coles right hand, it had served his father. His father had been a successful mercenary. He taught Cole how to shoot and fight and survive in these harsh times. He had instilled in his son the sense of honour that had gotten him so far in the world. Cole remembered his father fondly. He had been a good man, a good father. After Coles mother died in a raider attack when he was very young, his father had raised him single-handedly. He had made sure that Cole never went hungry. He had protected him and cared for him and had never asked for anything in return.

Cole felt a pang of sadness deep in his heart. His father had passed away some years ago. He had drifted into the next life one day while he slept in his bed in Megaton. He was the rarest of men, a mercenary that had lived till old age. Cole had been by his side as his health had deteriorated. His father had passed away with his son at his side, the way any good father would want to go. Cole sighed to himself. He could really use his fathers help in times like these.

He realised he was wasting daylight and hauled himself to his feet, still feeling the effects of the jet as he walked. He pushed the thoughts of his father to the corner of his mind. Like so many other of Coles thoughts, the got in the way of the mission at hand. Cole ran through a few ideas in his head as he made his way to Mick and Ralph's. Strategies and tactics for taking down Freddy. He muttered to himself as he walked, thinking of how good it would feel to put a bullet between that mans eyes. How satisfying it would be to end his wretched life.

Cole continued his dark thoughts as he entered Mick and Ralph's general store. He left the store with a considerably small amount of caps left in his wallet. He carried a ratty, moth bitten duffel bag over his shoulder. He had planned for a long journey. Stimpaks, Blanco mac and cheese, Dandy Boy apples, Cram. Everything he could think of, he had also bought a couple of boxes of 357 ammo for lucky.

He slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and walked down the street towards Freeside's East gate. Just as he reached the gate he heard a call from down the street. "Hey detective!" The voice called.

Cole turned to see the pretty bar girl from the other night come hurrying down the street towards him. She wore a simple Brahmin skin outfit and carried a battered old hunting rifle in her hands. She also had a loaded satchel slung over her shoulders. She beamed at Cole as she rushed towards him.

She stopped in front of Cole, the smiled still on her face. She chirped out a "Hi" and Cole responded with a smile and a nod. Just as Cole turned to walk away she spoke. "I heard you're headed down to Red rock?"

Cole turned to her, a quizzical look on his face. "Ho did you know that?" He asked, annoyed that others seemed to know his business.

"The guard from the wrangler. You know the one that nearly blew your head off?…" Cole nodded, still puzzled. "Well he does some work for the Chairmen up at the Tops casino. He overheard your little conversation with Swank, told me where you were headed." She finished her explanation, still smiling.

Cole nodded again. "Oh well ok. See'ya" Cole turned to walk away again before the girl grabbed his arm with her dainty hand. "I wanna go with you" She said, Cole noticed by the tone of her voice that she wasn't joking.

Cole cleared his throat, taken aback by her unusual request. "Erm, why on earth would you wanna go to Red rock? You know that's where the Khans live right?"

"Yeah of course I know that. I'm not going to Redrock, I'm going to Goodsprings. It's a little town South East of Red Rock. I need to get there and I don't feel like trekking through the wasteland on my own. And I saw how you handled yourself with those thugs in the Wrangler. If anyone can keep me safe, its you"

Cole knew Goodsprings well. It was a quite little town, friendly. He had planned on stopping there on his way to Red Rock. But he couldn't afford to have anyone slowing him down, he needed to catch up with Freddy before he moved on again. "Look I'm sorry. I'd love to help but I'm in a rush. I cant have you slowing me down, no offence, but I cant take you. Why don't you hire someone? I know there are mercs who'd take you for a few caps"

"What, trust a merc. They'd take my money and leave me to rot by the side of the road!" The girl said indignantly.

"Hey my father was a mer…!" Cole resisted the urge to start an argument. "…Look im sorry but I cant take you. Find someone else."

Cole turned to walk away for the billionth time before the girl shouted out. "I saved your life!" Cole stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the girl again.

"I stopped Jim from blowing your brains out back in the Wrangler. You owe me. I wont slow you down, I know how to handle a gun and I travel light. Im gonna follow you anyway so you might as well accept it" The girl folded her arms, a stern look on her face. Like a schoolgirl who wasn't getting her own way.

Cole sighed and threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. "Ok fine. Fine you can come. Just don't slow me down and don't expect me to like it. Are you ready to leave?…" The young girl smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically, like the hula girl bobble head Cole had seen on the dashboard of a burnt out bus in DC.

"…Ok one final thing. Whats your name?"

The pretty girl smiled and held out her hand. "My name is Katie. Whats yours?"

Cole took her tiny hand in his, noticing how smooth and perfect her skin was in comparison to his large calloused hands. "Im Cole. Its nice to meet you Katie"

Cole kept his pace brisk, trying to punish Katie more then anything. Annoyingly she had managed to keep up with him effortlessly. They had been walking for a couple of hours and Cole had yet to lose his irritated state of mind. Katie had tried to start a conversation on multiple occasions, but Cole had simply grunted and carried on walking. But Katie was not so easily ignored. She kept walking beside him, skipping occasionally and humming a little tune to herself. Cole couldn't help but smirk, she was rather endearing.

Again Katie tried to start a conversation, and this time Cole couldn't ignore her. "So whats this case your working on then?"

"Im after a man, a murderer, he killed my bosses wife and Im gonna return the favour" Katie looked away, clearly not expecting that reply. "Jeez, that's intense. I was kinda hoping you were looking for a lost dog or something" Cole smiled at her. If only it were that easy.

"So who's your boss? She asked. "Frank Delaney" Cole replied, if Katie recognised the name she didn't show it. "He must be pretty big news if he sent you all this way. I mean you've practically travelled the whole united states. Or whats left of it. You are from DC aren't you?…" Cole nodded. "…Hmm. Like I said, he must be a big shot. So what was his wife like?" Cole tensed at this.

"Im sorry. I didn't think…" Katie stared at Cole, seeing his obvious discomfort.

"Its ok. Its just a…a sore subject I guess" Cole stared off into the distance as the walked, he noticed the sun starting to set behind the milky clouds. The horizon was a rich tapestry of orange and purple, golden rays broke through the hazy barrier of clouds. "Its funny…" Katie said, the sunlight reflecting from her emerald eyes. "…this . Its beautiful. You forget that there's still beauty left in this world." Cole couldn't agree more.

The small fire Cole had built warmed them greatly. The crackle of the fire consuming the twigs soothed him. The flames licked at the dry wood, warping and distorting them in hideous ways. Katie hugged the blanket around herself tighter. She had fallen asleep soon after they had stopped walking for the day, wishing Cole a good night and drifting off into slumber. They had made camp under a collapsed underpass, the concrete hiding the flames from any passing threat. Cole stared into the flames, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts pounding against the inside of his skull. He kept seeing her face. Kept remembering the time they spend together. He kept remembering the first time they met.

_Cole knocked on the whitewashed door to Frank Delaney's room, whistling to himself quietly. A couple in pre-war relax wear walked past him, sticking their noses in the air snobbishly. Cole didn't mind, since he had started working for Frank, he no longer felt like a fish out of water in Tenpenny tower. He had bought himself new clothes and cleaned himself up, he was making enough caps to live comfortably. Frank had suggested he rent a place in the tower, but Cole couldn't bear to move from his fathers house in Megaton. Since his passing, Cole had felt it was his responsibility to look after the place._

_Norm opened the door, the usual gaunt, depressed look on his face that he always wore. "Hello Cole, Franks attending some business upstairs, come in and take a seat." He gestured for Cole to enter, and he obliged. Norman pointed to the comfortable looking sofa in the main room. Cole sat down and found that the sofa was just as comfortable as it looked. Norman withdrew from the room silently, something he did often, Cole had noticed. He had been working for Delaney for a few months now and was trusted enough to be left alone in his home. However he wasn't alone._

_He first saw her hand gently grip the doorframe as she pulled herself through the doorway. He noticed the extravagant wedding ring resting on her dainty finger. She stepped into the room with a grace and poise that few women could muster in these times. She was gorgeous. Her auburn hair hung down her shoulders over the ruby red dress silk dress she wore. Her eyes burned into his soul. She walked towards him and sat down in the chair in front of him, crossing her legs seductively. Coles mouth hung open as he admired her beauty. _

"_You must be Franks new…employee" She said, her voice like velvet._

"_Erm, yeah that's right" Cole answered, clearing his throat a few more times then he felt was necessary. "Im Michelle. Michelle Delaney. If you hadn't already guessed, that makes me Franks wife. I know I look more like his daughter but, what can you do" She laughed and Cole felt the room light up. She reached out her hand and Cole took it, shaking it as gently as he could, afraid she might break like a china doll._

"_Im Cole" He said, trying to sound more confidant then he felt. "Its nice to meet you Cole. I don't often get to meet new people" Cole saw a flicker of sadness in her eye at that last remark. _

_Cole and Michelle talked for the next twenty minutes. Awaiting Franks return. Cole found that despite her wealth and beauty, Michelle was as genuine and down to earth as a woman could be. She enthralled him with fascinating stories and jokes. Twenty minutes felt like a lifetime for Cole. When Frank finally returned, he kissed her on the cheek and Cole could swear he saw her shudder slightly._

Cole snapped out of his thoughts of the past. He noticed the fire dying down. The embers slowly going out, like stars in the sky. As he fell asleep, Cole tried to remember the last time he saw the stars .


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Katie's eyes flickered open. The bright morning sun shined onto her face, warming her skin. She blinked repeatedly as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She noticed the still red hot ashes of the fire beside her, she looked over to where Cole had been sleeping and was alarmed to find he wasn't there. She panicked, where had he gone? Had he left her out here on her own?

"Good morning" Cole came trudging into the makeshift camp, two prickly pear fruit in his hands. He smiled to her and slumped down onto the floor, taking a bite out of one of the pears.

Katie exhaled a sigh of relief. He hadn't left her. She felt a pang of guilt in her heart, she shouldn't have doubted him so easily.

Cole threw Katie a pear and she caught it clumsily, he let out a small chuckle at her bewildered expression.

"Sleep well?" Cole asked, taking another bite of his pear. He tasted the tint of radiation in the fruit, the juice running down his chin. He knew it wasn't important. Any wastelander worth his salt knew how much radiation was too much.

"Yeah I did thanks…" Katie answered with a smile "…you?"

Cole hadn't slept well at all. The memories of his life back in DC continued to haunt his dreams. But he didn't think it was worth talking about. So instead he put on his best fake smile and replied with a chirpy "Yep"

The rest of the morning passed without much conversation. Cole was still deep in thought about the case. His hatred of Freddy was consuming him. It was becoming an obsession.

The pair packed away the remaining provisions. Katie busily rolled up the blanket she had been using.

"I'm gonna go and get some more of those pears for the road" Cole said. Katie just smiled and gave him the thumbs up as she continued to try to pack away the blanket.

Cole hurried away from the camp, turning the corner from the underpass. He double checked that he was out of sight before pulling the Jet inhaler out of his pocket. His hands shook and he silently cursed himself for doing this to himself again. He took a deep drag of the Jet. The potent drug began to take its toll on him. He slid down the wall onto his haunches, holding his head in his hands. He stared down at the floor, the rocks and dust becoming one big blur as the Jet rush effected him.

"Hey you ready?"

Cole nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard Katie approaching, he hurriedly grabbed the empty Jet inhaler and threw it into the distance. He straightened up and patted his dusty clothes down as Katie came closer. He turned the corner of the underpass to see Katie stood with her satchel slung over her back. The usual smile on her face.

"Yeah I'm just looking for more prickly pears" Cole replied, hoping that his pupils were not dilated. He put all his effort into staying upright, trying not to sway.

Katie eyed him suspiciously. "You Ok?" She asked, a look of concern crossing her delicate features. Cole smiled and nodded, quickly rushing past her over to a nearby plant. Ripping a few prickly pear fruit from it and stuffing them into his bag over at the camp. He picked it up and slung it over his back, hurrying off towards the road. Katie followed him, still eying him suspiciously.

They continued down the road towards Goodsprings. They chatted happily, Cole gradually walking off the effects of the Jet. Katie was in the middle of trying to convince Cole that Mr. New Vegas was a better radio DJ then Three Dog when Cole spotted a glint in the distance. He immediately stopped and gestured for Katie to do the same. She looked at Cole, a look of worry on her face. Cole grabbed her arm and pulled her over to a burnt out car on the side of the road. He pushed her down behind the car and crouched low, still keeping an eye on the glint he'd seen in the distance.

"What's wrong?" Katie whispered, her eyes wide with terror.

"Sniper, behind the car down the road" Cole replied, keeping his hand hovered over her shoulder to stop her from rising.

"Are you sure?" She asked, trying to crane her head around to see the sniper.

A shot rang out and sparks flew off the side of the car, inched from Coles head. The bullet pinged off the cars hull , and Cole and Katie both dropped even lower.

"Yeah I'm sure" Cole replied, pulling Lucky from its holster. He gestured for Katie to stay still as he darted from cover, sprinting towards a large rock further down the road on the opposite side. Another shot rang out, the sound amplified by the emptiness of the wasteland. Cole heard the crackle of automatic fire as dirt erupted from the floor behind him. He slid into cover behind the boulder, his heart racing. Shit, he thought to himself. There was more then one of them.

Cole focused on the situation, trying to block thoughts of Katie's safety from his mind. He needed to assess the situation. He exhaled slowly and poked his head out of cover, he got a glimpse of three figures behind a barricade of cars further down the road. He quickly ducked back into cover as bullets ricocheted off the boulder. He had noticed the helmets the attackers wore. The bleached bone of skulls covering their filthy heads. Fiends. Cole let out a sigh of relief, Fiends were just a bunch of junkies who couldn't shoot for shit. If it had been Jackal gang members, that would have been another story.

Cole looked back towards Katie, she kept peeking around the corner of the car, thankfully the Fiends attention was firmly fixed on Cole. Cole angrily gestured for Katie to get back down and she immediately ducked back behind the burnt out car. Cole looked towards another car wreck across the road from him and further down, it was the last bit of cover between him and the fiends. That would be where he'd stage his counter attack.

Cole took a breath and dashed out of cover for a second time, zigg-zagging to avoid the sniper shots. The Fiends opened fire and Cole determined that one of them had a sniper rifle and the other two were firing assault rifles. A shot grazed Coles arm, tearing through the leather of his jacket. Cole gritted his teeth from the pain and crashed into the floor behind the second car. He checked his arm and thankfully the shot was not too deep, though he would need to sew it up later. From this vantage point Cole had a clear sight of the Fiends makeshift barricade. He noticed that one of the cars they hid behind was not burnt out, Cole grinned to himself. He knew how explosive pre-war fuel was. He still gripped Lucky in his hand, he would need to make these shots count. He popped out of cover and fired three shots at the cars bonnet. He dropped to the floor as the Fiends returned fire.

The Fiend sniper tried to get a bead on Cole, not noticing the flames coming from the car to his right, peeling the sickly green paint from the cars hull. His two companions were more observant and quickly vaulted over the barricade, running towards the car Cole hid behind. Cole stood on his feet and ran towards the rushing enemies. He fired another shot, clipping the closest Fiend in the shoulder. Seconds later the flaming car erupted in a fireball, shrapnel flying in every direction. The sniper was vaporised as the tiny mushroom cloud engulfed him. Cole and the remaining two Fiends flew off their feet as the explosion reached its apex. Cole felt the hot air of the explosion against his face as he was thrown against the rusting frame of the car, Lucky flying from his hand. He winced as his shoulder roughly slammed into the metal, narrowly missing an exposed shard of metal sticking out of the car door.

All three men rolled around on the floor in pain as the explosion died down and the flames began to lick the paint from the burnt out skeleton of the exploded car. Cole pulled himself to his feet, relieved to find out nothing was broken.

The second Fiend regained its footing and charged into Cole, tackling him back into the car. Cole felt the pain of his shoulder hitting the metal for a second time, narrowly missing the ten inch shard of metal again, before he responded with and elbow to the Fiends back. The snarling raider pulled back and threw a fist towards Cole, who nimbly stepped aside. Cole threw a counter punch into the mans ribs, feeling his fist crack bone. The Fiend screamed with anger and span towards Cole, smashing his helmet into Cole face. Cole felt the skull helmet crack against his cheek bone as he reeled from the Fiends unexpected attack. Spittle pooled in the corner of the raging Fiends mouth as he rushed at Cole for a second time. This time Cole was ready for him, he sidestepped the raiders tackle and grabbed him by the collar of his blast master armour. He span around and stuck his foot out, tripping the Fiend and sending him face first into the metal shard sticking out of the car. The man screamed as the ten inch shard of rusted metal drove through his skull, killing him instantly. Crimson sprayed from the back of the raiders skull and the ichor poured from his face.

Cole turned to see the second raider pull himself to his feet, his arm hanging to his side, blood flowing from the gory gunshot wound Lucky had left. His good arm was raised, the barrel of a 9mm pistol pointed at Coles head. Cole closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable shot that would end his life. He heard the shot ring out, but was amazed to find it had not hit him. He opened his eyes to see the look of shock on the Fiends face, a pool of blood forming around the bullet hole the .308 round had made in his chest. The man dropped to the floor unceremoniously, wheezing out his final breath. Cole, wide eyed with shock, turned to see Katie standing ten feet down the road, a tattered hunting rifle held in her hands, smoke billowing from the barrel. She was obviously as surprised as he was. Cole smiled at her and burst out with nervous laughter as he collapsed on the ground, happy to be alive.

The hours passed and the two travellers continued on their journey. Cole had been extremely impressed and appreciative of Katie's shot. She had saved his life. He had also been impressed by her skill with a needle, she had stitched up the wound on Coles arm with expert precision. They talked excitedly, each having gained more respect for each other. Both realising that they had in fact became friends.

"So why Goodsprings?" Cole asked, enjoying Katie's company more and more.

"I'm from Goodsprings, my mom owns the prospector saloon. That's where I grew up."

"Why did you leave?"

Katie looked down at the floor, her brow furrowed in contemplation. She wasn't sure how to answer that question.

"I guess I just wanted to get out" She suddenly realised Cole was staring at her and she perked up, putting on a smile that she didn't mean.

"My dad was a caravan guard, and he travelled all over the Mojave. He'd be gone for months at a time but he'd always bring me something home from his travels. Y'know like a dinosaur toy from Novak, or a snow globe or something."

Her smile became real as she remembered her father. "He'd always tell me stories about his adventures in the wasteland"

She laughed and Cole smiled with her, he was happy to hear more about this mysterious girl. Katie's smile disappeared.

"Then one day he was shot by some junkie raider up near Westside. They killed him for 15 caps. Just 15 caps and I lost my dad."

Cole realised that they had stopped walking and he stood staring at Katie. Unable to think of any words of comfort, or just anything to say at all.

"After my dad died, I didn't want to stay in Goodsprings. It was too painful. I kept waiting on the porch of the saloon, half expecting him to come walking down the road. With a big smile on his dirty grime covered face. And he'd run and give me a big hug and spin me around in the air like he used to. I always loved that"

Katie slumped down onto the floor leaning against a rock, her eyes staring blankly into the distance. Cole sat down next to her gently, an expression of genuine concern on his face. He still couldn't think of anything to say.

"I set out one day and just headed towards the strip. Y'know the big spire in the distance that everyone heads for. I believed the stories, that New Vegas was a place to start over. My mom told me not to go but, I just wouldn't listen. I wanted to find adventure and see the world like my dad did. I didn't just want to serve drinks behind a bar with my mom for the rest of my life. But before I knew it I was broke and hungry, sleeping in a burnt out husk of a building in Freeside. Then one day I got a job in the Wrangler and that was that. I was doing the one thing I didn't want to do, serving drinks behind a bar. Except I was far from home. Alone and afraid. And that's why I'm heading to Goodsprings... " Katie's voice began to crack as she started to cry "…I just want to go home"

Tears openly ran down Katie's face. Running lines through the dirt that had covered her cheeks. Her lips quivered and she looked away from Cole, folding her arms tightly, her shoulders shaking as gentle sobs escaped her mouth. Cole was overcome with emotion towards this pretty young girl. She just needed someone to look after her.

Cole still couldn't think of anything to say. So he just put his arm around her. Her delicate frame shaking slightly from the crying. She turned towards Cole and buried her head in his chest, the tears soaking into his shirt. She hugged him tightly, her tiny hands clutching the worn leather of his jacket. Cole rested his head across the rock and held her close. He smiled to himself, he would look after her.

_**Ok I'm starting to get the ball rolling on the story now. Anybody who's read from the start might notice that my writing style has changed a little in this chapter. After reading some of the other stories on the site I've tried to adapt my writing style. I wanted to separate the dialogue to make sure it doesn't get too mixed in with the rest of the story. I've also tried to make my chapters longer so that I'm not as rushed to bring out new ones. Please do let me know what you think because I'd love to hear how I can improve. And for anyone wondering, I do have a full overview of this story I'm not just making it up as I go along. However I keep adding new details and characters so please bare with me. Comment, review and enjoy : )**_


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